Meta has been ordered by the European Fee to revive free WhatsApp entry for chatbots made by rival AI suppliers whereas the regulator finishes its antitrust investigation. The uncommon interim measure announced on Tuesday was deemed crucial “to stop severe and irreparable harm to competitors” within the general-purpose AI assistant market.
That is solely the second time that the EU has used the emergency energy in additional than 20 years, Politico experiences. It follows the launch of a formal investigation in December 2025 into whether or not Meta was abusing its market dominance by banning third-party AI chatbots from its WhatsApp messaging platform. Meta later restored entry to rival chatbots “for a fee” in Marchseemingly in violation of EU competition rules. Now, the Fee is ordering Meta to reinstate WhatsApp entry for third-party AI rivals below the identical phrases and circumstances that had been in place earlier than the ban, which was “notably freed from cost.”
“In quickly evolving markets, competitors may be misplaced lengthy earlier than a ultimate determination is adopted. Because of this these interim measures will stay in place throughout the investigation, as a way to stop hurt that may be nearly unimaginable to restore,” European competitors commissioner Teresa Ribera mentioned in a press release. “These interim measures will safeguard competitors within the rising marketplace for AI assistants, by preserving a key entry level to succeed in customers in Europe – WhatsApp – and permitting AI firms to innovate, scale up and attain their full potential.”
Meta has till June fifteenth to conform. The broader antitrust investigation remains to be ongoing, with no date set for a authorized conclusion. If Meta ignores the order, it might face fines of as much as 10 p.c of annual income, or round $20 billion, primarily based on 2025 earnings.
In a press release to Politicoa Meta spokesperson rejected the case as baseless and mentioned the corporate plans to attraction the order:
“The European Fee has determined that OpenAI and a few of the largest firms on the planet can use the paid-for WhatsApp Enterprise product at no cost. That is regulatory overreach subsidised by the numerous European firms that pay.”
